On Sunday 23rd May, Hob Hey Wood Friends Group reaches its third birthday. Yes, our group is three years' old. It all started at a meeting, called by Frodsham Town Council, asking people if they would like to be 'A friend of Hob Hey Wood'.

In those early days, most of the volunteers knew little about ancient woodland, not much about woodland management and, in my case, had few practical skills. It seemed a monumental task to take on.

Here we are three years, and over 300 volunteer hours later and the amount the group has achieved is evident to anyone who walks in Hob Hey.

The group focused on two main aims: improving the woodland for visitors, and improving the habitat for the wildlife that lives there.

A summary of what we've achieved is given below but I also think it's important to recognise what membership of the group has given us. We've had the chance to work with a lovely group of people, learning together about diverse subjects such as tree planting, dead head building, invasive species' control, path laying, and bluebell seed collection!

We are hoping that our group can go from strength to strength, getting more people involved and achieving more for the benefit of the people of Frodsham and the wildlife that calls Hob Hey home.

If you'd like to get involved, email us on [email protected], join our Facebook page, or just turn up on one of our volunteer days: (see our website, or our Facebook page for details).

What has Hob Hey Wood Friends Group done to improve and maintain the wood?

- Planted over 1,600 trees.

- Removed invasive sycamore.

- Carried out repairs to paths, steps and bridges.

- Removed trees fallen across the path.

- Felled branches encroaching on paths.

- Carried out litter picking events.

- Removed yards of redundant barbed wire.

- Managed the meadow area for wildflowers and pollinators.

- Build dead hedges and fences to define borders in the wood.

- Significantly increased the bluebell cover in the wood.

- Discovered rare white-letter hairstreak butterflies and rare bats living in the wood.

- Planted a disease-resistant elm to help secure the future of the white-letter hairstreak.

- Commenced biological recording of the plants and animals living in the wood.

- Led a walk for Frodsham Festival of Walks and compiled a virtual walk for the FFOW 2021.

- Engaged with visitors to the wood, explaining its history and natural history.

- Assisted FTC in organising big maintenance items in the wood.

- Built a website containing a huge amount of information about the wood.

- Host a Facebook page with over 700 members.

- Raised over £3,000 in fundraising including publishing a calendar for 2021.